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Captain Scott’s Fish and Chips, Edmonton (and finding good gouda)

Fish and chips

I think one of the most unknown eateries in Edmonton must be Captain Scott’s Fish and Chips. Every time you talk to someone about fish and chips, they talk about places like Back Home or Brits, but hardly ever have I heard anyone mention Captain Scott’s.

Hidden in a strip mall next to the Circle Square building in the west end, the place is unassuming and even a little old. The decor inside is a strange mishmash of 80’s nautical style (complete with a fake giant swordfish on the wall) and a grandmother’s flowered living room. I’ve been coming here since the late 1980s or early 1990s, but they’ve apparently been around since 1963. The current owners are an Asian family but they’ve kept the same menu and serve English-style fish and chips, mushy peas, fried oysters, etc. Choose your fish from haddock, salmon, halibut or cod. They even have an all-you-can-eat special on Tuesdays, for those who want to cram their stomachs full of fish and chips.

The clientele is generally a mix of seniors from the neighbourhood, working class folks, and the occasional family that seems to have stumbled into the place by accident. You can always tell when someone hasn’t been in there before because of how their eyes widen at the decor.

Captain Scott’s fish is fried on order; the batter is thin and crisp, and the fish is sliced thick. They cut the fries themselves and also fry them on order. The food is always served hot and surprisingly without a greasy taste. My one and only criticism about their fish and chips are that the fries are sometimes soggy by the time you get to them (eating the fish first always seems more important to me at the time). I have also noticed that they aren’t as generous with the amount of fries you get as they used to be, but I still find the amount they give you is more than enough to fill you up. And I’d have to say the fish here either rivals or was better than some of the ones I ate in London, England.

Fish and chips - close up

If you do go, make sure to also check out the Dutch bakery and grocery store next door, the Sherbrooke Bakery and Delicatessen*. I don’t actually go there for their pastries, but for their wonderful gouda. In my opinion, theirs tastes better than any other gouda I’ve bought in this city.

Captain Scott’s Fish and Chips
13240-118 Ave.
Edmonton, AB

*Edited to add: The Sherbrooke Bakery has changed ownership and is now called Dutch Delicious.